In his condolence message, Karunanidhi recalled his meeting with Thackeray in 1968 in Mumbai and said: "Though we differ on many aspects, the love and simplicity Thackeray showed during the meeting attracted me very much."

Rajinikanth termed Thackeray as a father figure and said: "This is a great loss to all. My heartfelt condolences to all his family members and followers all over the world."